Chapter 166: One Parting In Life, One Parting In Death
“Oh, right, this is 2013.”
Lin Xiuyuan’s words were like a nail, fiercely driven into Kim Tae Yeon’s already tattered and precarious inner world.
“2013…”
Murmuring the timeline, her voice was so faint it was almost inaudible, like an unconscious echo.
But her mind felt like it had been violently torn open, and the flood of memories instantly broke its dam, pouring into the past.
Kim Tae Yeon stood frozen, her gaze blank, lips pressed tight, her body as if sealed in an invisible amber, unable to move.
A scene seemed to emerge before her eyes.
It was the memorial service for Sulli.
There, Kim Tae Yeon saw Jung Soo Jung.
That usually strong girl, on that day, seemed to have lost her soul, collapsing before the mourning hall, crying “Unnie” over and over, her voice hoarse, heart-wrenching, crying until those around her couldn’t help but look away.
That scene was still deeply etched in the depths of her memory.
She saw Jung Soo Jung kneeling on the ground, embracing Luna, holding Sulli’s portrait with both hands, crying, “She said she was getting better, she said she wouldn’t leave alone anymore…”
Then, the sobs that filled her ears were like sharp, blunt instruments, striking Kim Tae Yeon’s chest again and again, her breathing tearing, the scene blurring.
Immediately after, the scene became clear again.
Kim Tae Yeon saw another scene.
It was Kim Jonghyun’s funeral on a winter day; she and Im Yoon Ah quickly entered the mourning hall, wrapped in heavy black jackets, yet still feeling the biting cold seeping into their bones.
She remembered the air that day with perfect clarity; it was bone-chillingly cold, and the entire space felt oppressively like it could collapse at any moment.
In her sight, Kim Jonghyun’s sister tightly held his portrait, weeping inconsolably. Silence surrounded them, broken only by occasional sobs, like something being torn apart.
Kim Tae Yeon herself, embraced by Im Yoon Ah and comforted by the other members, cried until her eyes were red and her throat hoarse.
After that, it was Goo Hara’s memorial service.
She saw Goo Hara lying peacefully in a photo, her smile bright but forever frozen there.
Kim Tae Yeon stood before the photo, unable to move for a long time. She had just said goodbye to Sulli the previous month, and at that time, she felt as if her feet had sunk into an invisible black hole, dragging her down.
That darkness was a never-ending abyss.
She couldn’t remember if she cried that day, only that someone said she looked utterly lost, and she hadn’t spoken a single word all day.
The last scene that emerged was her father’s funeral.
Kim Tae Yeon stood at the front of the crowd, dressed in a sharp black suit, her eyes vacant, no tears, no cries.
She couldn’t remember how she felt then, only heard the cries of those around her wash over her in waves.
She just lowered her head, kneeling there like a puppet, her fingers cold, only numbness remaining in her heart.
For several years after that, Kim Tae Yeon didn’t celebrate her birthday, and had almost forgotten what cake tasted like.
The word “birthday” had long since disappeared for her, lost in the gaps between goodbyes and funerals.
…
Returning to the apartment in reality, Kim Tae Yeon’s gaze refocused, landing on Im Yoon Ah and Lin Xiuyuan before her.
She took a deep breath, slowly turned, and looked towards Lin Xiaolu, Jung Soo Yeon, and… Sulli on the sofa.
Her hands hung naturally at her sides, but her fingers were already clenched into tight fists.
Her slender manicured nails dug fiercely into her palms, the piercing pain coming in waves, but it didn’t make her loosen her grip at all.
And that pain was the clearest reminder.
This was not a dream.
This was reality.
She had truly returned.
Back to a world that time hadn’t yet had a chance to destroy everything.
Back to the crossroads where she could still choose again, before she lost everything.
A wave of bittersweet emotion surged up her throat, almost drowning Kim Tae Yeon.
But she held it back, didn’t cry.
Instead, she suppressed her emotions, furrowed her brows, and looked at the three people before her; no, only two.
One was a separation by life, the other a parting by death.
Finally, she forced out a sound from her throat, “Hi, you… you’re all still here.”
This sentence was almost gouged out inch by inch from Kim Tae Yeon’s heart, like a long-suppressed desire finally finding an outlet.
After saying it, she walked forward directly, greeting Lin Xiaolu and Jung Soo Yeon with practiced ease and a forced cheerfulness, “Looking at you now, you haven’t changed much. Tsk, have I gotten old too quickly?”
Hearing this joke, Jung Soo Yeon managed a weak smile, but her heart tightened inexplicably, feeling a pang of sympathy for the seemingly strong Kim Tae Yeon before her.
At this moment, Kim Tae Yeon had walked up to Sulli.
Before she could even raise her hand, her gaze changed, softening uncontrollably.
The next second, she raised her hand and hugged Sulli, saying nothing, just holding her gently, as if afraid that if she let go, the other person would disappear again.
“Little snowball… it’s been a long time.”
Kim Tae Yeon called out softly, her voice breaking slightly, relying on deep breaths to maintain stability.
Sulli froze, but quickly returned the hug, gently laughing as she comforted her, “Unnie, it’s okay, I’m still here. The me on your side had some issues, but the me on this side is fine.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Sulli suddenly felt a cool, small hand, gripping hers with almost stubborn tightness.
Looking down, it was Kim Tae Yeon’s right hand hanging by her side.
Her knuckles were white, and her palm was even faintly oozing blood.
But she didn’t move, just held Sulli’s hand tightly as if a drowning person had finally found a piece of driftwood, while her left hand held the other person motionlessly.
Sulli was very familiar with this scene.
Just like Krystal and Im Yoon Ah before her, after seeing her, they had embraced, held, and grasped her with the same intensity, as if wanting to merge her into their very bones.
It was an instinct of regaining what was lost, a light confirmed only after passing through darkness.
“Unnie…”
Sulli’s gaze softened, and she then proactively linked her arm with Kim Tae Yeon’s, leading her to sit down beside her. “Let’s sit down first. After you came, everything here will get better from now on.”
“Mmm~”
Kim Tae Yeon nodded, her smile finally softening a bit, but she still didn’t let go of Sulli’s right hand.
Lin Xiaolu and Jung Soo Yeon, watching this scene from the side, also felt a strange emotion well up within them.
Although they had been shocked by the information from the future before, compared to the pain Kim Tae Yeon had personally experienced, their feelings were still separated by a distance that could not be truly touched.
So the two of them didn’t disturb Kim Tae Yeon and Sulli’s reunion, but turned their attention to Im Yoon Ah and Lin Xiuyuan beside them.
As a result, Lin Xiaolu was a bit stunned.
Im Yoon Ah’s youthful and invincible face had changed too drastically compared to the last time she saw her in terms of appearance and complexion.
While Lin Xiaolu was shocked, Jung Soo Yeon didn’t feel much. She hadn’t seen the 2025 version of Im Yoon Ah for a while and thought she had just had some medical aesthetic treatments, as the results would be best right after.
Then Jung Soo Yeon looked at Lin Xiuyuan, nudged her chin towards him, signaling him to go adjust the situation.
Facing Jung Soo Yeon’s signal, Lin Xiuyuan’s action was simple.
He gently pushed Im Yoon Ah forward, just as Im Yoon Ah had pushed Kim Tae Yeon through the door earlier, a mischievous smile on his lips, causing Jung Soo Yeon and Lin Xiaolu to roll their eyes simultaneously.
Im Yoon Ah didn’t seem to mind, however. Instead, she naturally walked forward and gently put her arm around Kim Tae Yeon’s shoulder.
Her posture was exactly the same as that day at Kim Jonghyun’s funeral; she gently patted Kim Tae Yeon’s shoulder, “Okay, Unnie, we can talk about things later. It’s dinner time now, we need to cook, right, snowball~”
“Oh, right, my soup.”
Reminded by Im Yoon Ah, Sulli remembered the chicken soup squatting in the kitchen and quickly turned to run inside.
At this moment, Lin Xiuyuan also followed, “Slow down, Sulli. I’ll help you.”
“It’s ready to drink. Then oppa, can you help me carry it out so Unnie and the others can have some soup first? I’ll quickly stir-fry a few dishes, it’ll be ready soon.”
“Okay.”
Just like that, as Lin Xiuyuan carried out the steaming pot of chicken soup, Kim Tae Yeon was still leaning on Im Yoon Ah’s shoulder, her expression dazed, as if she hadn’t yet emerged from the vortex of her emotions.
So he smiled and looked at the people on the sofa, playfully teasing, “Why are you all still standing there blankly? Come get some soup. Don’t tell me you’re waiting for me to bring it to you, Lin Xiaolu.”
“Got it, coming.”
Hearing Lin Xiuyuan call her name instead of Im Yoon Ah’s, Lin Xiaolu felt inexplicably happy.
Im Yoon Ah was about to continue holding Kim Tae Yeon and walk over, but Jung Soo Yeon gently patted her arm.
She turned her head and saw the other woman give her a meaningful look, signaling her to go ahead first.
Seeing this situation, Im Yoon Ah’s eyes lit up. She smiled, let go of Kim Tae Yeon, and followed Lin Xiaolu’s footsteps towards the dining table.
This situation caused Kim Tae Yeon to unconsciously lift her head. The next second, Jung Soo Yeon’s hand touched her shoulder, and a voice she hadn’t heard in a long time slowly sounded.
“How is it, can you recover mentally?”
A seemingly light sentence made Kim Tae Yeon feel as if her spine had been instantly straightened. She let out a long sigh of relief and nodded, “Much better.”
Then she turned to look at this old friend she hadn’t seen in years, bit her teeth tightly, and asked, “When did you guys know about this situation?”
“About a month ago.”
As Jung Soo Yeon replied, she also gently nudged Kim Tae Yeon forward, leading her towards the dining table.
After sitting down, Kim Tae Yeon’s gaze involuntarily drifted to the busy figure in the kitchen.
She withdrew her gaze after a long moment, looking at Im Yoon Ah and Lin Xiaolu opposite her, her eyes showing a hint of daze and surprise.
“Two Yoon Ahs from different time-spaces. I just thought I saw ghosts and almost shouted out loud.”
Kim Tae Yeon, who had always been afraid of such things, was truly terrified just now.
If Sulli hadn’t been standing there, if that deep longing hadn’t overwhelmed her fear, she might have fainted on the spot.
Lin Xiaolu, who was ladling soup, handed the first bowl to Kim Tae Yeon. “I’m so young, Unnie, how could you mistake me?”
“Yah, Lin Xiaolu.”
Although her complexion had improved significantly and her skin was back to its best, “age” remained a sensitive word and a forbidden zone for Im Yoon Ah, so she immediately gave Lin Xiaolu a glare.
“What, I’m just stating facts. I’m only 23, and you…”
“Yah, still saying it? Looks like you don’t want to share information anymore.”
“I…”
Feeling a bit depressed because she guessed something, Lin Xiaolu pursed her lips, looked at Im Yoon Ah’s fair and flawless face, and snorted. She simply closed her mouth.
On the side, Kim Tae Yeon held the steaming bowl of chicken soup, her eyes still a bit confused, and muttered to herself.
“So I’ve now traveled through time and space, back to the 2013 timeline, and changing things here won’t affect my situation in 2025 over there, right?”
“Mm, yes Unnie, it can’t change our side. For example, Lin Xiaolu has already taken the female lead role in “The Heirs” 《》, and Jung Soo Yeon is not with Kwon Young Il, and Sulli knows everything. But nothing has happened on our side.”
As Kim Tae Yeon heard Im Yoon Ah say this, she rarely showed a smile. “Why are you calling Yoon Ah ‘Xiaolu’?”
“Of course, it’s to distinguish, right, Lin Xiaolu.”
Thinking of how Lin Xiaolu had reluctantly given up her name earlier because she needed a favor, she could only look away speechlessly, choosing selective mutism.
At this moment, Jung Soo Yeon suddenly said from the side, “By the way, Tae Yeon, how have you been lately?”
The question landed like a feather, but it precisely hit the softest and most untouchable spot in Kim Tae Yeon’s heart.
Her body trembled slightly.
Her expression was first stunned, then her lips curved upwards, as if something deep inside had been struck, yet she forced a cheerful reply, “Mm, I can still get by. It’s just been a while since I’ve seen you, Soo Yeon.”
After saying this, knowing that the other person was aware of future developments, she paused for a moment before wanting to ask, “Soo Yeon…”
But before Kim Tae Yeon could speak, Jung Soo Yeon interrupted her, “I know what you want to ask. The situation over there was Jessica’s own doing, don’t ask me, I have no thoughts on it. And don’t put too much pressure on yourself. It’s been so long, why are you still thinking about it?”
Jung Soo Yeon’s words made Kim Tae Yeon bite her lip and lower her head. “But I feel like I didn’t protect the group well.”
“Nonsense. You can’t even protect yourself, how can you say you protected others?”
As this sentence came out, Kim Tae Yeon looked up at Jung Soo Yeon and saw her frowning slightly, pointing disdainfully at her own face.
“I remember I told you long ago, never get plastic surgery. And what happened? Couldn’t you just listen?”
Jung Soo Yeon’s reply drew the attention of Im Yoon Ah and Lin Xiaolu. They seemed to have no idea their two Unnies had ever discussed such things.
Especially Im Yoon Ah; she had seen them both during the ten years after 2014 but had never known about this.
For Kim Tae Yeon, Jung Soo Yeon’s words were like a hook, instantly bringing up old memories from the depths of her mind.
She remembered that afternoon in the vocal practice room, the two girls sitting side-by-side, chatting.
That was the year their relationship was the best, the year when fans shipped the “Taessica CP.”
Then all the scenes flashed like a slideshow, sliding by one by one, until finally, it stopped on the day Jung Soo Yeon left the group.
Then, Kim Tae Yeon slowly lowered her head again and murmured, “Because later… no one said that to me anymore.”
In the kitchen, Sulli’s stir-frying sounds and the wafting aromas filled the living room, along with Lin Xiuyuan’s teasing and Sulli’s responding laughter.
On this side of the dining table, however, a moment of silence fell due to Kim Tae Yeon’s words.
That silence was heavier than any sound.
I’ll take a short break today for my birthday and continue with the daily ten thousand word updates for all you godfathers tomorrow.
PS: My small birthday wish today is for all you godfathers to cast a few monthly tickets, subscribe fully, and give a small reward of a few cents, okay?
Thank you, thank you!!!!
